Device for measuring and indicating tension on cables



Jan. 28', 1936. J, LESTER 2,029,111

DEVICE FOR MEASURING AND INDICATING TENSION ON CABLES Filed April 22,1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. [9

35' 32 30 C'fir/sfapber J. l. afar 23 s 7 BY a. 6 v .6

ATTORNEY.

Jan. 28, 1936. c. J. LESTER DEVICE FOR MEASURING AND INDICATING 'rENsioN0N CABLES Filed April 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fi /ls/apher-J. Leafs:-

BY W Q. ATTORNEY.

. cates a yoke shaped frame having a pair of arms Patented Jan. 28, 1936PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR MEASURINGAND INDICATING TENSION N CABLESChristopher J. Lester, Cleveland, Ohio Application April 22, 1935,Serial No. 17,55? 3 Claims. (01. 265-1) This invention relates to adevice for measurin and indicating tension on cables, particularly thecables or ropes of elevator hoists.

It is desirable, particularly in elevator work, to

know the amount of tension on the hoisting cables, for'th'e purpose ofequalizing the same and permitting any adjustment necessary where aplurality of cables are used.

The present invention has for one of its objects to provide a simple andconvenient apparatus or gage which may be used for this purpose, althoobviously it will be capable of use in any relation where the tension ona rope or cable is to be measured or indicated.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is afront elevation of a tension checking device for use onelevator hoist ropes.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with the frame structure insection.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectionalview of the tension checking mechanism in operative posilOIl.

Fig. 5 is a similar .view, to Fig. 4, but with the tension checkingmechanism in operative position. v Fig. 6 is a section taken on lines6--6 of Fig. 1. Fig. '7 is an enlarged top plan view of the hook showingthe position of the hook for difierent sizes of cables.

Fig. 8 is an'enlarged fragmentary section of the tension and push barswith the cam handle in operative position.

Referring particularly to the drawings, I0 indi- I I and I2 at oppositeends, said arms terminating in forks I3 and I4 respectively. 1

'At or about the middle of the frame it has a tubular extension or bodyI5, projecting substantially parallel to the arms, II and I2, and in thehollow or bore [6 of this extension is slidably mounted a push bar I'I,having a'lug I8 projecting from its inner end I9. A tension bar 20 5. isalso slidably mounted within the hollow I6 of the body I5, beside thepushbar ",and the rear end 'of said tension bar is split or forked asindicated at 2| to receive the cam head 22 having a' handle 23, the camhandle being pivoted at '24 by a bolt and nut 25. The rear end of thepush bar I! may be slightly notched as at 26 to 7 receive the cam headwhen turned down, as indicated in Fig. 8.

The inner or front end of the-tensionbar 20 is I 55 mountedbctween'theforks 2'! of a hook '28 to which it is secured by a pivot pin 29 whichmay have a lock nut 30. The hookis of such shape as. to engage behind oraround the rope or cable 39, and as shown in Fig. 7 the hook may havedifferent recesses to engage cables of different 5 sizes.

A spring 3! is mounted in compression 'between the inner end of the pushbar I'I and the shoulder 32 near the front of the tension bar 20, andsuch spring is compressed by relative- 1y opposite lengthwise movement.of the push I bar and tension bar.

A notch 33 near the inner end of the push bar I! receives thefree end ofa gage spring 34, the said free end of the gage spring being connectedto a standard gage movement by a link 35. The fixed end of the gagespring 34 is secured to the inner surface of the gagecasing 36 by ascrew 38 and a screw 31, in a well known manner. The gage casing 36 isrigidly secured to the adjacent parts of the frame IIland body I5, and agage dial 40 cooperates with the usual pointer to indicate movement ofthe pointer, and may be calibrated in pounds of tension of the cable,altho this is not necessarily so as primarly the device will be used todetermine whether different cables have equal tension.

In use, the instrument is mounted on the cable to be tested by liftingthe cam handle to horizontal or off position, as shown in Fig. 1, andthe forks I3 and I4 are then placed against the cable. The middle ho0k28 is then swung in to engage the opposite side of the cable and the camhandle is then swung down until it stops in the notch 26, as shown inFigs. 2 and 8. In this position the device clamps itself on the cableand indicates the tension thereon. When the handle 23 is pulled down therise of the cam tends todraw the tension bar 20 rearwardly and forcesthe push bar I! forwardly, compressing the spring 3|, and the movementof the push bar is communicated to the free endof the gage movementaccording to the amount of tension or pressure Q required, and thismovement being transmitted to the gage pointer indicates on the gage theamount of the deflection of the cable, which is proportional, to theload or tension on the cable being tested.

By applying the"device -t0' the various cables the tension will beindicated and they can.then be adjusted or equalized accordingly. r Theinvention is not limited to the particular form shown. Various changescan be made withinthe scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an instrument of the kind described, the combination or a yokeframe having arms which may be applied to one side of a cable at spaced.points, a guide mounted on the frame, a

tension rod slidable in the guide and provided with a hook for engagingthe opposite side or the cable between the arms, a pressure bar s1id-'able in the guide, a cam handle connected to the tension rod and bearingagainst the pressure bar, and a gage including a spring resisting themdvement' of the pressure bar and operatively connected to the pressurebar to indicate the movement thereof.

2. In an instrument ofthe kind described, the

- combination of a yoke frame having arms at opposite ends arranged tobe applied to one side 01 a cable at spaced points, a tension rodslidably tive movement thereof, a cam operatively connected between therod and the pressure bar to apply tension to the former and pressure tothe latter, and a force measuring gage supported on the frame andoperatively connected to the pressure bar.

3. The combination stated in claim 2, the means carried by the tensionrod to engage the cable comprising a hook pivoted to the tension rod andhaving a plurality of cable receiving recesses.

CHRISTOPHER J. LESTER.

